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Nov. 2 1926.

R. STEINEGGER MUZZLE ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 1'?,

Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES RUDOLF STEINEGGER, 0F BERN, SWITZERLAND.

HUZZLE ATTACHMENT.

Appuauon med oetnber 17, 1925, serial No.

The present invention pertains to an ap paratus for the dam ing of the appearance of fire, report and kick with firearms wlth the avoidance of any substantial raising of the temperatures. The new ap aratus 1s of the kind in which the hot pow er gases are for the greatest part turned from thelr course by means of funnel-shaped inset pieces in a fittin which is constructed in prolongation of t e barrel, that is to say the bore of the weapon. In accordancewlth the invention the inset pieces conduct the gases into a sleeve, which surrounds -the litting and which is opened after each explosion for the passing out of the gases and 1s again closed before the beginning of the next explosion.

Two illustrative examples of the object of this invention are brought to view in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the first illustrative example;

Figs. 2 and 3 show on a somewhat larger scale an inset piece in full view, front elevation and, respectively, partly in slde elevation and partly in a longitudinal section.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the second illustrative example, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are sections along the l1nes V-V and VI-VI of Fig. 4.

Tn Figs. 1-3 it is assumed, that the 4a para'tus is built on to a machine. gun. Tie barrrel 1 of the weapon is slidably mounted in the water jacket so as to have relative movement thereto during rec-oil and counterrecoil. The barrel traverses loosely a locking plate 2, which is firmly screwed on in the water jacket of the weapon by means of a threaded connecting piece 3. At the free end of the barrel there is a cylindrical block 4 firmly :fixed with peripheral groove 5 and cplindrical prolongation 6. Block 4 and prolongation 6 are provided with a longitudinal bore, which possesses a somewhat greater caliber than the barrel. With the locking plate 2 three claws 7, which project into the interior of the apparatus and extend out beyond the prolongation 6, form one piece, which claws hold firmly a cap 8,in which the prolongation 6 is introduced centrally and loosely. Into this cap 8 the one end of the tube-shaped iitting 9 is screwed in such a manner, that the iitting is arranged in the prolongation of the barrel 1 and coaxially with the same. The other end of the tting 9 lies in an axle cap 10, which 1s 63,182, and in Switzerland Uotober 18, 1924.

screwed into a sleeve 11 that surrounds the fittmgl 9 concentricall This sleeve l1 is held tightly against t e plate 2 by means of a capped nut 12.

In the fitting 9' there are a number of in- .set pieces arran ed in series, each of which 1s prov1ded wlt a funnel-shaped part 13 with an opening 14, the diameter of which 1s somewhat greater than the caliber of the barrel 1, so that a projectile passing out of the latter can pass the openings 14 without coming into contact with the inset pieces. At its base the funnel-shaped art of each lnset plece passes over a shoul er 15 into a cyhndrical part 19, which is provided with a fiange 16 projecting outwards. This latter, as Well as the cylindrical part 19 of each inset piece, are provided with openings 17 and 18 respectively. As it is shown in Figure 1 the inset pieces are so arranged, that the free front surface of the cylindrical part of each inset piece applies closely against the shoulder 15- of the following inset piece andV that the flanges 16 subdivide the space, that remains free between the tting 9 and the cylindrical parts 19, into a number of annular chambers 21, which are in communication with one another by means of the openings 18 and with the interior of the inset pieces by means of the openings 17. Openings 20, which are provided in the fittino` 9, bring about an open communication between the chambers 21 and the interior of the sleeve 11. Two rings 25 and 26, which are set respectively into the back and front ends of the fitting 9 and apply against the cap 8 and cap 10 respectively, serve as an abutment for the inset pleces.

The sleeve 11 is likewise provided with openings 22, which are controlled by a cylindrical slide 23. This slide has one or more arms 24, which gear between the claws 7 into the groove 5 of the block 4.

It a shot is fired out of the weapon, then first of all the impulse, which is occasioned by the projectile and is made noticeable as a report if the apparatus here described is not'employed, is caught up by the sleeve l1, which at this moment of time is closed. Before the barrel 1 and with it block 4, prolongation 6 and slide 23 have come into the illustrated position in consequence of the recoil of the barrel, a portion of the powder gases has already entered from the barrel into the litting 9 under very great pressure;

from there the gases are forced through the inset pieces and the openings 17, 18 into the chambers 21 and from there into the sleeve 11. Each inset piece, as it were, scales off a ortion of the hot gas current and conducts 4because there is not suiicient oxygen gas present in the apparatus to render combustion of the powder gases posslble.

If the barrel 1 and the parts that are in connection with it, have come into the illustrated position, the openings 22 of the sleeve are entirely made free through the slide 23 and the hot gases, which are contamed in the sleeve can flow unhindered. Owing to the expansion that follows, a certain amount of cooling oii takes place, so that an undesirable rise inthe temperature 'in the weapon is avoided.

Inasinuch as, in consequence of the very high pressure in the barrel 1, the gases enter into the ittn 9 with very high velocity, they according y exert a very high pressure upon the funnel walls of the inset pieces, contrary to the recoil, and hence prevents this, if the fitting 9 is connected directly with the barrel. Under other circumstances, that is also with the illustrative example shown, the recoil is rather somewhat stronger, a fact that is considered an advantage with machine guns. Ifafter the shot has been lired the barrel is again brought into its normal position by reason of the counter-recoil action, the slide 23 also returns to its locking position. The sleeve is then closed. The procedures as described take place with every shot.

In the lace of the slide the sleeve could be provi ed also with one or more other locking organs as, for example, valves, which open under the pressure of ,the gases of combustion and then close automatically; or the valves could be controlled positively in the weapon. Furthermore, there can be a relatively large opening provided for in the wall of the sleeve, to which a tube is affixed, which can be provided with a valve that can be activated by the agency of the powder gases and serves for conducting the gases away as also for equalizing the pres` sure. This hose or tube can be conducted into a rather large receptacle or into the earth. It would also be possible to make little openings in the front and back faces of the sleeve.

With the second illustrative example,

which is intended especially for cannon, the sleeve is. divided into two parts, one of which is rmly vconnected with the support of the bore, While the other, which at the same time serves as a locking member is' connected with the bore and is movable overagainst the other part.

The apparatus possesses the fitting 9 which is in prolongation of the bore of the cannon 30, .with vthe inset pieces 13. The fitting 9 is held firmly on the bore by means of a clamp 31 of two parts, which clam s surrounds the ring 32 that is customari y found on the cannon bore and presses the fitting 9 against this ring 32;

The sleeve, which surrounds the fitting 9 concentrically is divided into two longitudinal parts 33 and 34. The upper longitudinal part 33 is firmly connected with a flange 35 of the upper half of the clamp and slides in guides 36 of the lower longitudinal part 34 of the sleeve, which latter is firmly connected with the support 10 of the bore.

Each time that a shot'is fired out of the cannon bore the recoiling barrel upper longitudinal part 33 of the sleeve along, while the lower one remains firm. Accordingly the sleeve is being opened after every shot. This opening, however does not occur until the projectile has already passed the fitting 9 and a part at least of the glowing powder gases has already been forced through the inset pieces 13 into the sleeve. The iiashing up of the powder gases is accordingly in part at least concealed by the sleeve. Likewise the report, occasioned by the passing of the projectile out of the barrel, is also caught up in the sleeve, inasmuch as the sleeve is still closed in the moment when the report is made. Owing to the o ening of the sleeve after each explosion t e apparatus is also each time intensively cooled, so that no detrimental overheating of it can occur and als/o undesirable increases in temperature in the cannon are avoided.

What I claim is:

1. A muzzle attachment for damping the appearance of fire, report and `kick of lire-arms, comprising a fitting forming a prolongation of the barrel or bore of the weapon, funnel-shaped inset pieces to receive and divert the hot powder gases from the weapon, a sleeve surrounding the itting and adapted to receive the said gases from the insert pieces, and means controlled by the weapon and adjustable relative of said sleeve to open and close the latter following each explosion to permit the escape to atmosphere of gases accumulated within the sleeve.

2. A muzzle attachment, as claimed in claim 1, in which the funnel shaped insetpieces are provided with means to form a series of annular chambers between the inpuns the set pieces and the iitting7 said means being provided with passages to permit the passage of powder' gases axially of the axis of the barrel of the Weapon as well as radially from the fitting into the sleeve.

` 3. A muzzle attachment as claimed in claim l, in which said last named means comprises a slide member controlled by the weapon and adjustable in the sleeve to open l0 and close the latter.

4. A muzzle attachment as claimed in claim l, in which said last named means comprises at least one slide member adjustable in the sleeve to open the lattervby the expansion of powder gases from the Weapon and to close by the counter-recoil thereof.

Signed at lBern7 Switzerland, this 6th day of October, 1925.

DR. RUDULF STEINEGGER. 

